blithe

In the area of aviation technology, there are potential areas of energy loss which can be minimed. We aim to harvest energy from these issues to increase fuel economy of the aviation industry.

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Inspiration

The transportation sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. For context, the global fuel consumption by commercial airlines increased each year since 2009 and reached an all-time high of 95 billion gallons in 2019. By harvesting energy from planes, we can enable a more economic and environmentally friendly flights.

What it does

Wind generated by jet engine used to power wind turbine for energy for airport Thermoelectric generator on plane to provide electricity for plane thus reducing fuel usage

How we built it

Challenges we ran into

Fan speed was not enough to turn the wind turbine prototype

Selecting the ideal placement of the thermoelectric generator to not affect plane functions

Radar interference from wind turbines: When a wind turbine is located in close proximity to a radar facility, the blades of the turbine can appear as "clutter" on the radar screen, which can be mistaken for aircraft. This can cause confusion for air traffic controllers and increase the risk of collisions.

What we learned

teamwork and friendship

What's next for blithe

after winning the $800, to further address limitations

Built With

  • fan
  • tape
  • wires
  • wood
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